February 04, 2011

Suspensions at troubled Cook County jobs training program

Several employees of a long-troubled Cook County job-training program have been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation by the county’s inspector general, officials confirmed today.

The suspensions at the President’s Office of Employment and Training came earlier this week, about the same time county Inspector General Patrick Blanchard removed files from four of the agency's suburban offices, county officials said.

The suspensions, first reported by the Sun-Times, also came about a month after new Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle replaced the job training program’s top official with Karin Norington-Reaves, a former administrator in a state agency that had threatened to take over the county program.

Preckwinkle said seven employees were suspended, including a relative of Shirley Glover, who is on parole after being convicted of embezzling more than $180,000 from the agency.

The inspector general’s investigation was requested by Norington-Reaves, Preckwinkle said during an interview today on WLS 890-AM's “Connected to Chicago” show, which will air at 6 a.m. Sunday. “I imagine there are people who will be terminated as a result of the investigation,” Preckwinkle said.

“We saw enough questionable documents and practices that we felt suspensions were appropriate,” she added. “There are clearly inappropriate activities and conduct involved, and the full extent of it remains to be determined.”

Preckwinkle spokeswoman Jessey Neves and Blanchard both confirmed that there’s an investigation underway.

Last summer, the Tribune reported that the county program lost $2.7 million in federal funds meant to teach job skills to hundreds of suburban residents and was at risk of losing millions more.

“POET has long been the poster child for waste, mismanagement and corruption in the county,” said Commissioner Timothy Schneider, R-Streamwood. “This administration is tackling it head on.”

All 50 aldermen on the Chicago City Council had to file paperwork earlier this year detailing their outside income and gifts. The Tribune took that ethics paperwork and posted the information here for you to see. You can search by ward number or alderman's last name.

The Cook County Assessor's office has put together lists of projected median property tax bills for all suburban towns and city neighborhoods. We've posted them for you to get a look at who's paying more and who's paying less.

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